Here are all the cultural happenings you need to be locking in throughout the month of February

February is the month where the weather is glorious and there is a litany of concerts, events, shows and more to ensure that the long, balmy days are truly made the most of. But with so much going on, it can be hard to know which to prioritise. As such, we’ve compiled a succinct list of all the things that we think are really worth carving out some time for this month.

← GO BACK

SEE ALL SLIDES |

Queen and Adam Lambert

Queen and Adam Lambert

If the Herculian success of last year’s Bohemian Rhapsody proved anything, it’s that the adoration for British rock band, Queen, remains as strong as ever. Still rocking out almost 50 years after the band’s inception, this time with Adam Lambert belting the vocals, this is one show bound to set alight the nostalgia among fans. For more information and tickets, click here.7th February, Mt Smart Stadium

Jonathan Van Ness: The Road to Beijing

Jonathan Van Ness: The Road to Beijing

Jonathan Van Ness, the cheshire-grinned ball of energy and resident grooming expert in Queer Eye, has a serious love affair with figure skating. Late last year, Van Ness decided to act on his passion and finally pick up the sport, and he’s dedicated himself to the rink ever since. His goal? To become a figure-skating prodigy just in time for the next Winter Olympic cycle in Beijing in 2022. He’s documented every hilarious hiccup and triumph along the way and now — for the very first time — he will be bringing all his giggle-worthy content to the stage.For more information and tickets, click here. 16th February, The Civic

Elton John

Elton John

It was never going to be a quiet, understated retirement, but Elton John’s farewell tour is prodigious, even for the world’s most flamboyant showman. Spanning two years, comprising 300 dates, boasting accompanying videos, animation and high tech visuals, his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour — which kicked off in Pennsylvania in September 2018 — is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most ostentatious Elton has ever attempted. Aucklanders will be able to experience the juggernaut’s musical bravura in February, when he will be setting the Mt Smart stage alight with unforgettable renditions of ‘Tiny Dancer,’ ‘The Bitch Is Back’, ‘Rocket Man’ and countless other fan favourites.For more information and tickets, click here. 16th – 20th February, Mt Smart Stadium

Pride

Pride

From parties to performances, marches and comedy shows, this year’s Pride Festival has a plethora of enticing activities celebrating all things LGBTQIA+. To keep up with all the going’s on — there’s a total of 154 events happening, most of which are free — the full list can be found here. 1st – 16th February

The Good Liar

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Rather than a biographical film about Fred Rogers, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is more like a dream-esque grown-up episode of the beloved preschool children’s television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.In cinemas now

Deep

Deep

Spectacular luminous puppets and puppetmaster Paul Lewis join forces for Deep, a production which follows Rebekah Poleman on her journey volunteering for a routine expedition in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. When Rebekah finds herself unteathered from her submarine, stranded four-thousand feet deep in the lightless Midnight Zone, the only company she can keep is the of the terrifying species of marine life that surround her — oh, and she’s got less than an hour’s oxygen left.For more information and tickets, click here. 25th – 29th February, Vault

Yundi Li

Yundi Li

Fans of classical music will be fizzing at the news of Yundi Li’s, the youngest juror of the International Chopin Piano Competition, impending arrival to Auckland. Hailed as one of the most talented virtuoso pianists on the planet with a performance repertoire that spans Chopin, Schubert and Rachmaninov, Li is sure to put on one hell of a show. For more information and tickets, click here. 1st February, Auckland Town Hall

Dale Frank Exhibition

Dale Frank Exhibition

Colourful and captivating, Dale Frank’s vivid works are renowned. His latest solo exhibition, simply entitled Dale Frank, will be mounted across both gallery spaces of the Gow Langsford Gallery, and will see a new body of works painted on mirrored Perspex.For more information click here. On until 8th February

In Conversation with Margaret Atwood

In Conversation with Margaret Atwood

An event that pays an ode to a literary great, In Conversation with Margaret Atwood will see the icon take to the stage to discuss and answer questions on her remarkable career — as poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, inventor, teacher, and environmental activist. She will touch upon her diverse range of works and answer why, in the Booker Award co-winner The Testaments, she has returned to her seminal story, thirty-four years later.For more information and tickets, click here. 11th February, The Civic

Cinema at the Stadia

Cinema at the Stadia

This summer Mt Smart Stadium is taking the outdoor cinema concept to whole new heights, by giving city dwellers the chance to watch movies from the comfort of their own car via a drive-in cinema. The concept will be kicking off with Bohemian Rhapsody, delivering quite possibly the best way for Aucklanders to gear up for Queen + Adam Lambert’s imminent arrival. For more information and tickets, click here. From 29th January, Mt Smart Stadium

Gladys Knight

Gladys Knight

She’s spent almost 50 years entertaining us from the stage and from our screens, and still, Gladys Knight, aka the ‘Empress of Soul”, doesn’t show any signs of letting up anytime soon. This February her uplifting anthems, spanning pop, gospel, and RnB, will be setting The Civic alight, for just one night only. For more information and tickets, click here. 13th February, The Civic

Peking Duk

Peking Duk

Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles, aka Aussie electronic duo Peking Duk, are heading across the ditch to perform an anthem-filled one-off show to dance-loving Aucklanders. Expect summer bangers all round. For more information and tickets, click here. 21st February, Auckland Town Hall

SIX60

SIX60

If there’s anything that screams Kiwi summer, it’s a SIX60 performance. This February, the homegrown five-piece will be returning to Western Springs to deliver their mightiest show yet, bringing with them a seriously impressive line-up of international and local artist — including psychedelic surf-rock group Ocean Valley, Mitch James, rap duo Church + AP and DJ Soraya. For more information and tickets, click here. 22nd February, Western Springs Stadium

Mika

Mika

For the very first time, flamboyant pop sensation Mika will be bringing his live show to Auckland. Fans can expect a litany of bangers, taken from his initial material — like ‘Grace Kelly’, ‘Love Today’, ‘Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)’, ‘Happy Ending’ and ‘Lollipop’ — to his latest album, My Name Is Michael Holbrook.For more information and tickets, click here. 22nd February, Auckland Town Hall

Our Preposterous Universe with Sean Carroll

Our Preposterous Universe with Sean Carroll

Sean Carroll, as a research professor and theoretical physicist at the California Institute of Technology, has sought to answer some of the most fundamental questions about our existence and the nature of reality itself. Thus, his on-stage conversation is bound to be interesting and insightful in equal measure. His upcoming event will mark Carroll’s New Zealand debut, and will — amongst other things — break down quantum mechanics, and explain why there are ‘many worlds’ and an infinite number of parallel universes.For more information and tickets, click here. 22nd February, Bruce Mason Centre